Mark Scanlon (surfer)
Mark Scanlon | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1955 (age 70–71) |
| Known for | Pioneering Maldivian surfing |
| Spouse | Mandy Andrews |
Mark Scanlon (born 1955) is an Australian surfer known for pioneering surfing in the Maldives along with fellow Australian Tony Hussein Hinde.
Shipwreck in the Maldives
[edit]In 1973 Scanlon and Tony Hussein Hinde were shipwrecked on the Helengeli Reef in Kaafu Atoll located in the Maldives aboard the Whitewings, a ketch in which they had been hired as crewmembers.[1][2] The Whitewings had been en route across the Indian Ocean from Sri Lanka to Réunion Island when they were beached on a coral reef in the Helengeli Reef.[2][3] The pair spent several unplanned months in the Maldives repairing the boat.[1] However, he quickly discovered how good the surfing potential was in the northern Maldives and decided to stay in the country.[1][3]
Arrest
[edit]In 2000, Scanlon was arrested in the Maldives for possession of cannabis.[4] His wife, Mandy Andrews, moved to Maldives to support him.[4] Andrews advocated for Scanlon's release by creating a letter and having people sign it to send to the Maldivian government.[4] Along with his wife, he was visited by Neil Carlyle from the Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka. He was released in 2002 after diplomatic intervention by then-Australian Prime Minister John Howard.[4] After his release, he flew back to Australia where he reunited with his wife in Sydney Airport.[4]
Personal life
[edit]Scanlon was born in 1955 and is from Maroubra, Sydney.[4][2] Scanlon and his wife, Mandy Andrews, currently resides in Sydney.[4]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Tony 'Hussein' Hinde dies in Maldives surfing accident". Global Surf News. 2 June 2008. Archived from the original on 27 May 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2008.
- 1 2 3 George, Sam (27 July 2019). "Stumbling on Paradise: Tony Hussein Hinde's Maldives Discovery". Surfline. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- 1 2 Wilson, Alex (2 June 2008). "TONY HUSSEIN HINDE: Maldives Pioneer Dies". Surfer Magazine. Retrieved 8 June 2008.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Cumming, Fia; Benns, Matthew (8 December 2002). "PM's plea helps free surfer". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
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